reduction

Hi,

I'm thinking about upgrading my pocket rocket so I can go faster (I spin out the current 50/11). Going to 58/60 chainring doesn't sound like a good idea

Has anyone here ever got access to a 10 speed Capreo? Where did you get it and how does it work?
Is that a special rear hub with the 9-10-11-13 fixed Capreo cassette and others are regular cassettes?

Any thoughts are welcome!
Thank you!

fietsbob

it is a unique hub.. AFAIK 9~26t is the only cassette.

Bike Friday has those hubs on their build option list, Why not ask there.

you have a tooth count they skip ? which one?.

bargainguy

Fair warning even if you stick to a 9t Capreo: Capreo hubs and cassettes are not cheap compared to other product lines, and they're only compatible with each other, so you've got to get the set. And if 50/11 is too small a gear and you pine for a 9t, you will wear that 9t awfully fast. If you have an unlimited pocketbook, no problem, but otherwise, you pay a lot for having that 9t sprocket.

dabac

What's your smallest sprocket now?
Going to more speeds will not yield more speed unless it also gives a smaller sprocket or a bigger chainring.

rhenning

I have been riding my Pocket Rocket with a 12 to 28 8 speed in the back and generally use a 46-57 double in the front. I have had a 60 on the front but that gives to many gear inches and that was a gear I just didn't use. I also used a 56 on the front and there is almost no difference to the 57. The reason for the 57 is I had it and the 56 wore out. Roger

CliffordK

9s Capreo (9-26) is the "stock" configuration.

Prices aren't too bad if you shop around, and/or E-Bay.

The stock Shimano cones are pretty poor quality. They can be upgraded to some extent.

Bike Friday uses a Chosen brand hub with sealed bearings, but a little more expensive.

As far as 10s, there are a couple of companies who have been customizing 10s Capreo compatible cassettes, which I believe work on the stock Capreo 9s hub. Bike Friday may be making a modified 10s Capreo. Contact them. Also UtahTrikes

Utah Trikes - Shimano Capreo 9-34 Cassette 10 Speed Cassett

The modified cassettes, however, are rather expensive.

CliffordK

I have successfully modified a Capreo cassette to run 11 speed.

9-23 cassette, 11s.

I'm pretty sure that I could also do an 11s, 9-31 cassette. The mods aren't that complex, and I could build up a modified hub/cassette to specs, or build a wheel to specs.

The cassettes, however, are rather expensive (not much I can do about it), so the entire project is not cheap.

I've been running white label Campy Super Record 11 shifters/derailleurs. Shifting is generally good, although oddly it is the 3rd sprocket (12T) that is the worst, but usually it is only a matter of adjustment.

I do have a little more testing to do, especially with Shimano shifters/derailleur.

Anyway, quote this and I'll send you a PM.

Abu Mahendra

SRAM DualDrive?

bhkyte

I looked at cespro for more speed for my Mezzo but went dual drive as it's around 36% upgearing compared to 14% with cespro. Wheel build costs Were about the same. And used or new ebay dual drive was always cheaper.

prathmann

Capreo cassettes can be modified, but the only 'official' ones are 9/26 9-speeds.

What's your concern about running a larger chain ring? My Pocket Rocket came with a 60t and I haven't had any issues with it. I did replace the original 50t small ring with a 42t to get some lower gears and was able to reuse the 50t as a large ring on one of my other bikes.

CliffordK

I am having troubles mounting a derailleur with a 70T ring. I believe 60T would be just fine though. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of 60T and greater rings with shift pins & gates.

The bike folds and fits into my case just fine (albeit a little tight) with the 70T.

reduction

wow, thank you for all the useful comments guys!

I used to think that large chainrings will cause shifting issues for the front derauleur. Since people are running 57/46 and even 60/42, I was worrying too much! That is the only reason I was looking into Capreo. And I totally agree, the quality and price do not match...

I may just pick up two new chainrings (and a new chain). Again, thank you!

dorkypants

I have a 9-speed Capreo with a 9T high gear. When I'm in that gear I'm rarely putting a lot of force on the pedals as I do when I'm in LOW gears; i.e., on the larger cogs of the cassette. It's difficult to get much of a high gear with small wheels: either you get a tiny cog on the cassette or else you get extra large chainrings, which are also pricy.

Bike Friday does do custom mods to Capreo hubs to make them work with 10-speed cassettes, but they're even costlier than stock Capreo since it's a very small volume, quasi-custom market.

downtube

I had a mini with Capreo in 2008. It took me 11 months to get the components from Shimano. It is not well distributed and replacement parts will be costly and may not be accessible for months.

Thanks
Yan

reduction

Yea, I'm waiting for their response on different options. It seems they are inclined to the Capreo.
I think the 9-10-11-13 is fixed on Capreo, meaning they are not separable. There's just no way to get 9-10-11-12 unless one custom builds the cassette or do something sneaky

reduction

my smallest sprocket is 11, and the chainring is 50, with 20' wheel I can't really go really fast. A 9t sprocket will give a good gear ratio, however, as many people have said, it's expensive:-(

fietsbob

SO... If 9,10,11, 13 are fixed and in 9 speed spacing then you were able to cram in one more cog in the remaining space
the next spacing will be unlike the rest and so Indexing will be buggered ..

Either Or .. buy the whole Caprio Hub and cassette and have a custom wheel Built,

Or,

Put a 60t chainring on and the 11 will turn over more frequently.. a 109" Gear ..






./.

reduction

Thanks for the info. I'm still waiting for their quote. After reading all these suggestions, however, I'm inclined to big chainrings.
For the inner ring, I guess I will get the cheap vuelta one. For the outter ring, there are not many options with shifting pins, origin 8 is probably the cheapest and they only go to 56t. Osymmetry also goes to 56t. TA goes all the way to 61t and cost ~100 bucks. I will see what I need, very likely the TA.

CliffordK

Not exactly.

9-10-11 is Capreo specific.

The 13 is not. So, pretty much any Shimano 12T sprocket will mesh quite well with the Capreo.

The problem then occurs with a 9s and which sprockets to leave off. So, in the case of 9s, if one takes an 11-21, 12-21, or 12-23 Ultegra cassette as a donor, one gets: 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 which gives one wicked tight gearing. Anybody say CORNCOB!!!

A better donor is the 11-23 or 12-25, or 12-27 Ultegra, giving one: 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19

It is still pretty tight.

Perhaps one can mix and match a bit more with lower quality donor cassettes.

But, that is also one of the reasons to look at 10s and 11s solutions.

reduction

haha, I think that's what bike friday do. They somehow add another cog into the standard Capreo hub. Or they can custom built (or buy somewhere else) a better hub, with the same spacing, but nicer seal.

fietsbob

OK Show Me. So is "they" the shimano corporation?

reduction

Thanks for the explanation. That sounds expensive on the long run :-)
I'm likely to do big rings, since you have already tried 70t without problem, unless bike friday guys give me a really good price for a new Capreo wheel...

CliffordK

Remember that 9s and 10s stack height are close enough that one can generally use both on the same freehub (for standard freehubs).

Shimano 9s is supposed to use a 1.78mm thick sprocket, and 10/11s use a 1.6mm sprocket.

However, the internal plate dimensions of 9s and 10s chains are supposed to be similar. I think 11s chains are slightly narrower. But, 11s (and thus presumably 10s) chains will work on the 9/10/11 Capreo sprockets generally without a problem.

The design of the Capreo sprockets fitting together is such that the inter-sprocket spacing can be thinned slightly.

reduction

Sorry for the confusion. 'they' means 'bike friday'. They have two options, using either standard Capreo (9 speed hub) or custom built one, both can run 10 speed. I'm waiting for the price.

reduction

Haha, don't listen to me, listen to CliffordK. He's the expert and explains very well